Monday, December 8, 2008

It's Christmas in Jamaica, Mon!


Who missed the trip this weekend? I got a little overwhelmed with decorating and engagement parties and sewing and ...well, you get the picture! But I've restocked my backpack and have my traveling clothes on so let's get moving!

We've pretty much wrapped up Central and South America so I thought maybe on our way to Europe we would take a little stop over in Jamaica to get one more shot at warm weather. Welcome to the island!

In Jamaica it is tradition to paint your home and decorate with new curtains (talk about taking the decorating seriously!). Because of the African influence in the Carribean there is a tremendous shift in the celebration style. There are elaborate parades of revelers called Jonkanoo (John Canoe) during which revelers don elaborate masks and dance their ways through the streets.

Another part of the holiday season is Grand Market. As I read up on this I could only picture a flea market of fireworks, crafts, and food mashed together with a street carnival of dancing and music. Definitely sounds like fun to me!! Can you almost hear the steel drums now?

And let's not forget the food! The feast of Christmas is laden with chicken, oxtail, ackee, saltfish, fried plantains, curried goat, ham rice and gango peas (just for starters). The most interesting item on the menu for me was the Sorrel and Rum punch. Made with sorrel, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, sugar orange peel and rum, it certainly sounds like something that would make all the parties a little more interesting!

So there you have it! Another stop on our way around the world. And what a stop! The music the dancing, the parade - it's certainly a fun way to head off to Europe.

This afternoon I hope to land in that wonderful Emerald Isle we know as Ireland. Be sure you stop back and enjoy a pint with us.
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ooh, did someone say pint? YAY! So, don't be pissed at me but I hit you with a meme you may not like. I didn't like it when I got hit with it. Sorry, but it's in the name of love!

Anonymous said...
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